The Travelodge Aussie Spirit (Australia Women’s Softball National Team) will face a crucial 2019, with the WBSC Softball Olympic Qualifier Asia Oceania, their only chance to advance to Tokyo 2020, as their main goal. Under the title of Aussie Peppers of Minnesota, the four-time Olympic Medalist nation will play out of Caswell Park in North Mankato, Minnesota in their second season of the National Pro Fastpitch, the United States professional softball league.
Known in the NPF throughout their inaugural season of 2018 as the Aussie Spirit, the Aussie Peppers team is comprised of players who are also members of the Travelodge Aussie Spirit. In 2018, the team tallied a 16-32 record in the league and a third place finish overall in the regular season.
Aussie Peppers of Minnesota will join Beijing Shougang Eagles (Chinese Softball Association), Canadian Wild of Southern Illinois (Softball Canada), Chicago Bandits, Cleveland Comets, and USSSA Florida Pride in the 2019 NPF season. The first three aforementioned teams are affiliates of Australia, China and Canada National Teams respectively, in a practice endorsed by WBSC to promote international play and increase the level of play.
The Travelodge Aussie Spirit seeks to win the WBSC Softball Olympic Qualifier Asia Oceania in 2019 to be among the six team 2020 Olympic field in Tokyo. They will start the crucial 2019 season as host of the WBSC sanctioned Asia Pacific Cup, to be held from 31 January to 3 February at Blacktown International Sportspark, in Sydney.
